In order to serve a ready to drink beverage or other type of consumable product from a vending machine or cooler, an inventory of products, sometimes numbering in the hundreds or thousands, generally had to be cooled or heated to a ready to serve temperature. This temperature “pull down” process can take an extended period of time and generally involves the entire inventory. For example, it may take hours before the temperature of the entire inventory of a vending machine has been lowered to a ready to server temperature. Many commercial establishments, however, may turn the power off to the vending equipment or coolers in the evening to save energy but also allowing the products therein to warm. As such, a consumer may receive a product that is not at an acceptable temperature when the store reopens.
Furthermore, consumer preferences even vary on how hot is hot and how cold is cold. The consumer therefore may desire to determine the temperature of an individually served product. In addition, consumers may desire hot or cold beverages. For example, some consumers like their tea hot and some like it cold.
Current vending equipment technology offers hot and cold zones within a vending machine. These devices, however, heat entire regions and mass quantities of products such that the temperature pull down to serving temperatures still may be a lengthy process. Additionally, storing beverages and other products at a hot temperature for extended period of time may cause premature product quality degradation. Maintaining a high or low ready to serve temperature also continuously consumes energy.
Thus, there is a desire for an improved vending machine, cooler, and other types of dispensing devices that provide more flexibility in varying serving temperatures and providing quality on demand beverages. Such a vending machine or other device preferably can provide such temperature flexibility while consuming less energy than known units.